A Good Ferry Tale

Higher Tolls Small Price To Pay For No Bridge

July 31, 1992

Life is full of tradeoffs, and it strikes us that the New Deal at the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, which takes effect Oct. 1, is a pretty good one.

The state will continue to benefit, along with residents and tourists, from the pristine view of historic Jamestown Island that will remain unblemished as long as no bridge is built across the James River connecting James City and Surry counties.

Schedules will be more flexible for people crossing the river, because ferry service will now be 'round the clock. It remains to be seen who needs to make the trip at 4 o'clock in the morning, but there are bound to be a few takers.

And we don't believe commuters and tourists should begrudge the state the increased tolls for riding the ferry. Tolls will be doubled to 50 cents for commuters and $4 for other cars. While these "others" may not need to return by ferry, commuters will be paying $1 per round trip. By way of comparison, it costs $20 to make a round trip on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a trip that, incidentally, with its two-lane roads is not nearly as serene as a ferry ride, and a recent traveler to Massachusetts tells us it costs a cool $75 per vehicle, plus $9 per passenger, to make the round trip by boat between mainland Massachusetts and Martha's Vineyard. On the other hand, the ferry trip between Hatteras and Ocracoke islands in North Carolina is free.

It is troubling that the ferry system operates at a deficit, but reassuring to see the state's efforts to improve service, which also include buying a new 70-car ferry and expanding the docks. The state must continue to strive for a balancing act between promoting tourism and setting tolls that minimize the loss.